Soldiers Don't Cry
by Kaira-chan
Summary: [Spoilers for episode 25] [Rememberance Day fic] Roy meets Gracia on Hughes' birthday.


A Rememberance day fic, written in honour of the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom.

Lest We Forget.

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Spoilers for episode 25.

* * *

A lot of the time, Roy didn't like things to be silent. It was something that he had noticed after Hughes' death. He has always wished that Hughes would stop calling him and pestering him and bothering him, but after it had happened Roy wished everything would go back to normal.

The snow crunched noisily under his foot, it was the only sound besides his breathing. A crow cawed in a tree before flying off. He zipped up his jacket, and rubbed his naked hands together.

When he got to his destination, he kneeled down, ignoring the snow that melted under his warm body and dampened his pants. A few moments later, the sun began to rise, making the sky a soft pink, and the show a brilliant gold.

He kneeled there, rubbing his fingers against the cold stone, trying to ignore now they prickled with the cold. After all, _he _was probably much colder, trapped alone in the ground, the snow and dirt on top of him.

It was only maybe, at most, half an hour after the sun had risen that he heard someone walking behind him, two sets of feet crunching the snow.

"Hello, Roy," a woman's voice said.

He turned around, and saw Gracia there, her fingers gloved, and holding onto Elysia's.

---

_"Isn't she beautiful?" Hughes had asked when he had first seen her. _

_He and Roy had the day off of work, and had gone to a restaurant, where they were served by the most beautiful waitress either of them had ever seen. _

_"Yeah," Roy said, flashing her a grin as she once again looked over at them. "And I think she likes me." _

_Hughes sighed. "Every woman likes you, Roy. It's nothing to be proud of anymore."_

_She walked over to them, flashing them a smile. _

_"Hello," she said. "Listen, would you like to do something tonight? My shift ends in fifteen minutes if you'd like to wait around for that long."_

_"I'd lo –" Roy started, leaning back, closing his eyes, and flashing a grin. _

_"I'd love to," Hughes said first. _

_Roy opened his eyes, and found the waitress smiling at Hughes instead of him. He shrugged. You couldn't win them all, and Hughes deserved a woman as beautiful as her. _

---

"Hey, Gracia. You came by to pay your respects, too," Roy asked, smiling at her.

Gracia nodded, smiling sadly. "It was his birthday, after all."

"It _is_ his birthday," Roy insisted.

Gracia nodded, and Elysia looked at them curiously. "I brought daddy a present," She said, holding out a teddy bear.

Roy smiled, trying to keep from crying.

---

_"She said yes!" _

_Those were the first words that burst from Maes Hughes lips when he walked into the office that day. He didn't say hello, didn't greet anyone, just said those words. _

_"Congrats!" Roy said, smiling widely at him. _

_Of course, Roy had no doubts over what her answer would be. It was obvious she was just as in love with Hughes as he was with her. In fact, Roy was half surprised that it had even taken Maes that long to finally ask the question. They had spoken the night before, before Maes went on his date, and Roy had found out that it was because Maes was afraid of her answer, but he had assured him that she would say yes. _

_"When's the wedding," Roy asked. _

_"In exactly a month!" Maes said, and then walked to his chair. "I'm so excited. I can't wait!"_

_Roy was shocked at how quickly the wedding was coming, but then remembered that it had been four years since they had even started dating. _

_"Roy, I was wondering if you wanted to be my best man?" Hughes asked, looking at Roy his face serious. _

_Roy grinned. "How could I refuse such an offer?" Roy asked, answering the phone when as it rang. _

_"Hello! Is Maes there?!" A woman's voice asked over the phone. It sounded slightly frantic. _

_Roy pursed his lips together, than gave Hughes the phone, telling him it was Gracia. _

_"Hello, darling!" Hughes sang over the phone. _

_There was a pause, and Hughes eyes widened considerably, before he slammed down the phone. _

_"I've got to go!" he told Roy. _

_Roy gave him a curious look, as Hughes grabbed his jacked off coat rack. _

_"She's pregnant! I'm going to be a father!" _

_And then he was gone. Roy waited until he heard the door slam before he started laughing. _

_---_

Elysia placed the bear on her father's grave, and then sat down beside it. "Hello daddy! Happy Birthday. I came to visit you! School's really really fun. I've got a bunch of new friends! Mommy says that someday I'll get to see you again for real! I can't wait until that happens, but for now she says I can just talk and you can hear me, so I'm going to do that! I hope you like my present! I saved up my whole allowance for a month to get you it! Mommy says you'll love it, and that I should keep it at home. But then how can you play with it? I left the card at home. I hope that's okay..."

Roy closed his eyes, willing the tears to stay behind his lids. He couldn't believe how much like her father she was. Or how beautiful, or anything, really.

Beside him Gracia started crying. He stood up, and hugged her. She leaned into him and cried more.

"I - I can't believe he's gone. I love him. Roy."

---

_Roy never did much like to wear a suit and tie. He barely put up with his military uniform, and that was only because women loved military men. _

_He was making an exception now, though. This was his best friends wedding night, and everything had to go perfect. _

_"Roy!" Hughes ran into the room where Roy was waiting. "I don't think I can do this!"_

_Roy blinked, standing up. "What? What are you talking about?"_

_"I – I don't know. I just feel really nervous and sick. I feel like I'm going to throw up."_

_Roy blinked, then rushed to his friends side. "You don't want to do that. You don't want to leave, either. Gracia looks really beautiful in her wedding dress. It would really hurt her if you left right now."_

_Hughes nodded slowly. "You're right. I can't hurt Gracia like that." He smiled at Roy. "When are you going to get married? You'd handle it so well."_

_And then he ran to the bathroom._

---

"Mommy, I'm cold," Elysia complained, shivering and tugging on her mother's arm.

"Okay honey. We'll leave in a moment," Gracia said, and Elysia smiled.

Gracia knelt down, her lips moving, before she stood up again. As she began to leave, Roy put his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to cry, you know."

Gracia nodded. "I don't want to worry Elysia. I could say the same to you, though."

Roy chuckled a little. "Soldiers don't cry," he said.

"When you're done here, why don't you come over for supper?" Gracia nodded.

Roy assured her he would, and her and her daughter left hand in hand.

---

_Roy walked down the stairs of his house as the doorbell rang over and over again. _

_"What is it?" Roy asked, flinging the door open, but he paused when he saw who it was. _

_Hughes stood in the doorway, in his pajama's, looking horrible. _

_"I got kicked out. Can I stay here?" he asked, and walked in when Roy moved aside._

_"What happened?" Roy asked, going into the guest room and making it more comfortable for Hughes. "I didn't think you and Gracia would ever fight."_

_"I don't really want to talk about it. I'd probably start crying if I did," Hughes managed a laugh. "We all know that soldiers don't cry."_

_Roy nodded, and left to let him get some sleep. In the morning when Roy went to wake him for breakfast, his face was red and blotchy, so he decided to let him sleep. _

---

Roy wept.

* * *

Con crit more than welcome. Flames will be mocked. 


End file.
